Projection via DCI-compliant projectors instead of 35mm film — the technical standard now. Defines 95% of cinema worldwide.
Since the mid-2010s, virtually nothing in cinemas has been projected from film stock. The transition to digital projection—mostly according to DCI-2K or DCI-4K standards—has fundamentally changed the cinema industry, and anyone shooting films today must consider this reality from the outset: from the sensor and color management to the final DCP delivery.
For us as cinematographers and colorists, Digital Cinema is not just a technology but a chain of decisions. While 35mm film brought its own gamma curve, grain, and color characteristics, in digital productions, we must actively define the look—gamma, color space (usually Rec. 709 or DCI-P3), compression. The sensor itself is neutral; we create the character. This demands discipline: those who don't work precisely in editing and color correction will immediately notice that digital images quickly appear cold or generic. At the same time, digital workflows offer unparalleled control—we see on set immediately whether the sensor is capturing the lighting correctly and can make corrections before the first take is in the can.
The DCP (Digital Cinema Package) has become the standard requirement for the final delivery format. It is a bulky format, but uncompressed or with a very conservative codec (usually JPEG 2000), meaning that the color depth and brightness we painstakingly built in the color suite actually arrive in the cinema—provided the projector calibration is correct. Unfortunately, many cinemas don't adhere to this, which is frustrating, but it's not our problem on set.
The practical effect: Digital Cinema has democratized filmmaking while simultaneously making it technically more complex. With cameras like Red, Alexa, Sony, or FX30, anyone can shoot at a technically high level today. But anyone who doesn't understand their digital acquisition—color science, gamma curves, metadata—risks the cinema projection showing none of what looked so good on the monitor. Therefore: calibrated monitors, a consistent color management pipeline, and a colorist who doesn't just push buttons—this is the standard today.